Capitol versions: Which Beatles records were remixed by Dave Dexter?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by nite flights, Jan 23, 2010.

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  1. nite flights

    nite flights Member Thread Starter

    regarding the Captiol versions: Which Beatles records were remixed by Dave Dexter? which were remixed by Miller? which were remixed by other producers?
    and finally: which US albums do bear his credits as associated producer? can anybody help, or point me to a website with that info, since I don't have all the US releases at hand... i somehow strongly believe, some people here could.. ;)
    thanks a lot in advance!
     
    Tim Bucknall likes this.
  2. MMM

    MMM Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Lodi, New Jersey
    Not a one. Capitol never had access to the multitrack tapes. They did take the copies of finished mixes sent over from the UK and make dubs for use on their releases with various forms of processing.
     
  3. stereoguy

    stereoguy Its Gotta Be True Stereo!

    Location:
    NYC
    It depends what you want to call a "remix". I've never held to that rule that you need the multitracks to call it a remix. If you mess with the balance, EQ, compression, Reverb, limiting, etc levels of a stereo mix, I still call that a remix.

    Even today, many songs offered on itunes as "remix" have NOT been remixed in the classic sense from the Pro Tools tracks, rather, the final mix has been "tweaked" with different audio programs.
     
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  4. ROLO46

    ROLO46 Forum Resident

    a remix is a remix.
    it is not a remaster.
    the dreaded dexter remastered an already nearly perfect form
    he was a dolt.
    imho
     
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  5. PhilCohen

    PhilCohen Forum Resident

    None. Capitol modified many of the mixes that they received, by adding echo,reverb & compression. However, it is also true that, in a handful of instances, that EMI & George Martin supplied different mixes to Capitol, mixes that predated the songs' release in the UK, and then subsequent "improved" mixes were used in the UK.
     
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  6. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    I do have to say that Dave's remaster of Roll Over Beethoven rocks!

    I'm partial to his fiddling due to nostalgia.:D
     
  7. apple-richard

    apple-richard *Overnight Sensation*

    I like the punch given to She Loves You and I'll Get You.

    It's also the way I grew up listening to them so they're more familiar. The first time I heard a UK LP I thought it sounded so flat.

    I know this is not a Capital thing but the Vee Jay 45 of From Me To You jumps out of the speakers.
     
  8. edb15

    edb15 Senior Member

    Location:
    new york
    Dave Dexter was no dolt. He was a charming gentleman and a wit--just read his autobiography. He remastered the Beatles to meet American tastes, simple as that. If he didn't do it, someone else at Capitol would have.
     
  9. feinstei9415

    feinstei9415 Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Bend, IN
    I don't believe that Dave Dexter actually sat at the mixing console and did the mixes. Maurice some-body-or-other actually did the work. Mr. Dexter probably was the manager of the department.

    Also, to insult this great jazz-man's legacy is really quite rude. His accomplishments and contributions to American music during the 40's, 50's, and 60's are legendary.
     
  10. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Let's also not forget that Dexter drastically changed the song order for all those albums as well, cutting the number of songs per album to 11 or 12, and then used the remaining songs to create new, Capitol-only albums.

    Sadly, like it or not, this is what was historically released in the U.S. during the 1960s, so it's what millions of American fans heard throughout the decade. The UK albums were what the Fabs wanted people to hear; but the American albums were what people actually heard on vinyl during this era.

    Dexter dealt with this controversy in his 1976 biography, Playback, which is a strange read. He also covers several major fights with Sinatra, who ultimately quit the label in retaliation and started Reprise. (My favorite line in the book was where Dexter claims that the UK tapes "did not meet Capitol's stringent technical requirements," and that was his reason for adding reverb, changing EQ, and so on.)
     
  11. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Yet the added processing wasn't universal. Second Album was slathered in added reverb, as were some of the Duophonic tracks, but many tracks (albums?) had little or no processing beyond what would be used to cut LPs anyway (EQ and possible some compression).
     
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  12. feinstei9415

    feinstei9415 Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Bend, IN
    Vidiot,
    Was Dave Dexter involved in any way in Sinatra's exit from Capitol? I thought that the only reason Sinatra left Capitol was because he couldn't own it (he tried to buy Verve Records).
     
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  13. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    According to Sessions With Sinatra, he wanted his own imprint and to own his masters. Capitol balked. There's no mention of wanting to buy Capitol.
     
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  14. MMM

    MMM Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Lodi, New Jersey
    Frank set up Essex, intending it to be a label that Capitol distributed. Capitol didn't see it as more than a company on paper for tax purposes. When it never became what Frank intended, he stopped recording for Capitol during a long stretch of time between 1959-60. Then he & Capitol agreed to an amount of albums and singles needed to finish out his contract with them. During this time he attempted to buy Verve, and ended up creating his own company, Reprise.

    Sinatra's Capitol masters from 1956+ had an "E" added to each master # for Essex, and the record labels had "Manufactured for Essex Productions" added.

    The story I've read was that when Frank came to Capitol in 1953, they wanted him to work with Dave Dexter. Frank didn't want him, so they used Voyle Gilmore, then later Dave Cavanaugh instead.
     
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  15. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    The next release, Something New, compared to the Second Album, is quite tame when it comes to the added reverb.
     
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  16. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Exactly. I'm not sure if there's any. There's certainly none on the Capitol box.
     
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  17. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    I have an original rainbow label stereo pressing and it sounds ok as far as Capitol releases are concerned, although it does have that distinctive Capitol sound. I do prefer the sound of the Capitol box over the original stereo LP, EQ choices aside. I get the feeling that later versions of Something New sound better than the original. Maybe they are more faithful to the Capitol box version?
     
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  18. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    I'm wondering if perhaps the tapes were left dry and reverb was only added (in varying amounts) during cutting. Or perhaps tapes were made, but the dry tapes retained and used later?
     
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  19. johmbolaya

    johmbolaya Active Member

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    Is it possible that the Dexter treatment to songs can take over the current Auto-Tune trend? I'd like this.
     
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  20. ROLO46

    ROLO46 Forum Resident

    Dexter may be an ikon to some of you who only know those pastiches of the originals.
    He may have done great things in jazz but this episode in popular music is deeply depressing and I am amazed that EMI allowed him to tarnish 'the crown jewels'
    EMI owned Capitol and EMI tech cred was unimpeachable.
    What did GM say?
    We must be told .
     
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  21. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...

    I'm going to really stick my neck out and say I prefer the Dexter fold-down versions of "Not a Second Time" and "Don't Bother Me" on the MEET THE BEATLES "Mono" LP to the UK Mono mixes -- they seem to have depth to 'em...

    :hide:
     
  22. flashdaily

    flashdaily Active Member

    How could Dave Dexter, or anyone else for that matter, have possibly known what American "tastes" would be regarding Beatles records? A bit presumtuous, and perhaps a bit egotistical, I would venture.
     
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  23. Larry Geller

    Larry Geller Surround sound lunatic

    Location:
    Bayside, NY
    What he didn't realize, was that the material he was ruining would change American "tastes" forever.
     
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  24. bhazen

    bhazen I Am The Walrus

    Location:
    Deepest suburbia
    Anybody read that book Dave Marsh(?) did, The Beatles' Second Album? This deals with the Dave Dexter situation, or so I'm told. Haven't read it yet...
     
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  25. Jamie Tate

    Jamie Tate New Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    He remastered the Beatles to meet American tastes... What exactly does that mean? Who decided Americans wanted more reverb and all that other gunk on their Beatles records? Silliness!

    If some record label goon did that to anything I mixed I'd be beyond pissed.

    The reality is he probably did it out of ego. Sounds like he wanted his personal stamp on this successful group. How did he get away with it? Was he in the mafia or did he just have naked pictures of one of the Beatles with a goat?

    What was his title at Capitol anyway? Was he A&R or VP and why was he allowed to get involved with the technical aspects of these albums?
     
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